Brian Walton's news and commentary on the St. Louis Cardinals (TM) and their minor league system

Ludwick: Mr. Clutch dons the golden sombrero

Streaky St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick had a rough day on Sunday, striking out four times.

On one hand, Ryan Ludwick remains one of the steadiest members of the St. Louis Cardinals. His current offensive totals are very close to that of the $120 million man, Matt Holliday, the Cardinals other corner outfielder, and his defensive play this season has been far superior.

2010 stats through Sunday, May 23

Avg

HR

RBI

OPS

Ludwick

0.283

6

18

0.843

Holliday

0.294

5

18

0.824

On the other, Ludwick also continues to be one of the team’s streakiest hitters.

When he is on, he can rack up the numbers and score plenty of hero points. As I detailed in this post last week, no other Cardinal has more last at-bat game-winning hits since 2007 than does Ludwick with nine. His most recent occurrence was during Chris Carpenter’s previous start last Tuesday.

When he is off, though, a day ensues like on Sunday at Busch Stadium.

Ludwick took the golden sombrero, striking out four times. In the first three, all against Jered Weaver of the Angels, Ludwick went down swinging each time. He finally got wood on the ball after Weaver departed, grounding out in the eighth before taking a called strike three for the second out in the ninth in what was at that point a tie game.

With the help of researcher Tom Orf, we learn that since 1952, a Cardinals hitter has donned the golden sombrero 106 times, or about twice per season on average.

Since joining the Cardinals during the 2007 season, Ludwick is the landslide leader in the category with five of the team’s seven such games. Now Kansas City Royal Rick Ankiel had the other two.

Since 1952, only three Cardinals have struck out five times in a game, with it happening five times in total. Ray Lankford donned the platinum sombrero three times in 1998 alone, a season of amazing futility for him. Lankford also fanned four times in two other games that year. The other Cardinals platimum card holders were Dick Allen in 1970 and Steve Bilko in 1953.

No Cardinal has ever fanned six times in a game. All eight times in MLB history it occurred were in extra-inning contests. The most recent was by then-Milwaukee Brewer Geoff Jenkins in 2004.

St. Louis Cardinals hitter, four or more strikeouts, game, 1952-present